By S. Siapha Mulbah
As the candidate nomination process for the 2023 elections approaches, the National Elections Commission begun dialoguing with political parties over the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 11, 2023.
The gender quota MOU was signed by political parties so as to commit themselves to the promotion of women’s participation in elections as a means of bridging the gap between the two genders in the leadership of the country.
Speaking during the opening of a three days dialogue in Monrovia, NEC oversight commissioner for Gender, Josephine Kou-Gaye, said women’s participation in free and fair electoral processes are opportunities that Liberia signed to through some treaties and declarations.
Commissioner Kou-Gaye said the elections commission is concerned about the full implementation of the MOU and reviewing the challenges women are faced with in the process of these elections ahead of the closure of the candidate nomination exercise.
She added that through the dialogue, Liberia is expected to get an increase in the number of women that are going to be into political leadership from all sectors of the democratic space.
“We have a MoU on gender quota that was signed by over 20 political parties leading to the 2023 elections. This MOU maintains that every submission done to the commission nominating candidates for the parties should have a 30-70 ratio. Women should constitute 30% and this dialogue is looking at said implementation,” she disclosed.
The commissioner called on women across the country to gain courage by exploring political spaces and putting away fears of the challenges that will be encountered.
The event started yesterday July 4, 2023 and is expected to be climaxed tomorrow at the Cape Hotel in Monrovia.
Meanwhile several political institutions attending the event have called for empowerment mechanisms to be launched by both political parties and the election commission to further secure the gender quota.
Different party’s representatives maintained that the policy of at least 30% women participation in elections is not a guarantee that the women field on the various party tickets will be elected to public offices.
Some called on the Commission work with relevant authorities including the Legislature to act upon making the quota legal or law binding of all political actors to fulfill as a compulsory requirement under the elections law.
